Romney Plays Hardball - Jill Lawrence

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/01/mitt-romney-aims-for-perry-s-jugular-in-2012-campaign.html
Paul Burka, a Texas Monthly writer who has long covered Perry, says that so far “he’s certainly not the guy that we’ve seen in Texas. He doesn’t have the same fire or the same confidence that he had in Texas.” Burka wonders if a slow recovery from July 1 back surgery has thrown Perry off his game, and, like Mackowiak, he predicts the governor will bounce back to form. “When he gets in a race, he’s a killer. He just destroyed Kay Bailey Hutchison. They will sooner, if not later, just launch all these attacks on Romney.”

The back surgery is an issue that has barely been explored. There is a theory that Perry's low stamina during the debates, where he fades as the contest wears on, is a result of a recent back surgery sapping his energy. Whatever caused the weak debates, it has stalled him but not stopped him. His next full frontal offensive against Romney will be his first so I think it is way too early to write any sort of script for the primaries. At this point Perry feels he is fighting for his life and will not hesitate to go for the jugular, and the man excels at retail politics and speaking directly to his base.

In any case Romney has put him on the ropes early in the fight which is a development that no one expected. He will hit him from the right over and over on "immigration" (read cultural change and apprehension about Hispanics) which is a huge risk in the general election. The main weapon against Perry will be exchanged to Obama come next November, as Republicans are already working from behind with Hispanics. Good short-term, bad long-term.